To identify special strength exercises, Anatoliy Bondarchuk categorizes exercises based on the muscles, movements, and energy systems used. The end result is four categories of exercises that move from general to specific:

•General Preparatory Exercises (GE) – exercises that use different systems and movements as the competition movements;

•Special Preparatory Exercises (SPE) – exercises that use the same muscles and systems but different movements;

•Special Developmental Exercises (SDE) – exercises that use the same muscles, same systems, and parts of the competitive movement; and

•Competitive Exercise (CE) – the competitive movement itself.

For example, a discus thrower would consider jogging a GE, power cleans an SPE, rotational medicine balls throws as an SDE and throwing the discus as the CE. What most people would call special strength exercises falls into the SDE category since it mimics the movement of the competitive exercise in order to strengthen the movements and muscles used in the sport.

Dr. Anatoliy Bondarchuk

Like most of us, I have no access to asking Dr. Bondarchuck direct questions. I got this sample workout from Martin Bingisser, ( http://www.hmmrmedia.com/ ) a Swiss hammer thrower who trains with Dr. Bondarchuck.

Week of March 22nd

On Monday I returned from a pre-season competition in France. We trained through the competition, meaning that we didn’t set it up for me to peak at this meet and I only took an extra day off for travel – but otherwise continued with my normal training program. On Tuesday, I jumped back into training and continued the same training program I had been doing prior to the competition.